What is Metadata?
When you create a PDF, the software automatically embeds hidden tags. This is called Metadata. It often includes:
- Author Name: The user account that created the file (e.g., "John Smith").
- Creation Date: Exact timestamp of when it was made.
- Software Used: e.g., "Microsoft Word 2021".
Why This is a Security Risk
1. Anonymity Leaks: If you are leaking a whistleblower document or submitting anonymous feedback, the "Author" field can trace back to you.
2. Old Resumes: If you update an old resume from 2022 but don't clean the metadata, the "Creation Date" will reveal it's 4 years old, making you look lazy.
3. Phishing Targets: Hackers use software version data to find vulnerabilities in your system.
How to Sanitize Your Files
You don't need expensive software like Adobe Acrobat Pro. You can use our Free PDF Metadata Stripper.
This tool surgically removes all header tags, resetting the author and dates to blank or current values. Crucially, it does this Client-Side, so you aren't uploading your sensitive file to a server just to clean it.
Conclusion
Clean files are safe files. Before you email that contract or submit that report, run it through the PDF Metadata Stripper to ensure you aren't sharing more than you intend.